TRIPOLI — Thousands of
Libyans on celebrated for a
second day Friday 11 years since the revolt that toppled dictator Muammar
Gaddafi, despite political tensions in the divided country.
اضافة اعلان
The anniversary comes as the country finds itself with two
rival prime ministers based in the capital
Tripoli.
It also follows a failed bid in December to hold national
elections, with the vote postponed indefinitely amid bitter wrangling over the
legal basis of the polls.
Thousands of vehicles converged on the center of Tripoli
Friday, creating huge traffic jams, as motorists honked their car horns in
celebration, an AFP journalist reported.
Festivities were held in the capital's iconic Martyrs'
Square where
Gaddafi once gave a famous, desperate speech before the
"February 17 revolution" swept him from power.
Concerts and fireworks were organized but Libyans had to
wait hours before entering the square as security was heavy and metal detectors
slowed down the process.
The celebrations had been due to take place on Thursday but
most were pushed back a day due to bad weather.
Earlier this month the east-based parliament voted to
appoint influential ex-interior minister
Fathi Bashagha to replace the interim
unity government.
Incumbent Prime Minister
Abdulhamid Dbeibah, appointed as
part of a United Nations-driven peace process, has insisted he will only hand
over power to an elected government.
Analysts have warned that the uptick in tensions could
threaten what has been a long period of relative peace, since a landmark
ceasefire in October 2020 formally ended eastern military chief
Khalifa Haftar's ruinous year-long bid to seize the capital.
Since Gaddafi's ouster, Libya has had no fewer than nine
governments and two full-scale civil wars but has yet to hold a presidential
vote.
Since the revolt, Libyans have also been grappling with huge
financial hardship despite the country's vast oil wealth.
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